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The Australia Institute to Continue Legacy as Climate Institute Shuts its DoorsMonday, 3rd July 2017 at 4:26 pm

Australia’s first non-government organisation to focus solely on climate change has shut its doors after more than a decade of climate advocacy work, passing the baton on to the Australia Institute.

The Climate Institute, which was founded in 2005, closed on Friday due to a lack of funding.

Any remaining funds and intellectual property are set to be transferred to the Australia Institute, to “help carry forward the Australia Institute’s climate change-related research and advocacy”.

Mark Wootton, chair of the Climate Institute board said the Australia Institute was chosen from a short-list of strong candidates to continue the legacy.

“I am pleased to announce that, following the closure of the Climate Institute on 30 June, its significant remaining funds and intellectual property will be transferred to the Australia Institute, to help carry forward the Australia Institute’s climate change-related research and advocacy,” Wootton said.

“We are delighted that we can pass on our legacy to an organisation with such a strong commitment to societal and economic leadership.”

At the time it was founded the Climate Institute was the only non-government organisation focused solely on climate change.

Through its Climate of the Nation series, the institute conducted what is now the longest trend survey of the attitudes of Australians to climate change and its solutions.

But it was announced in March that the not for profit organisation would cease operations on 30 June “as a result of being unable to establish the viable level of funding that would enable the Climate Institute to continue in a meaningful, sustainable form”.

The Australia Institute board chair John McKinnon said the Climate Institute had been a key player in the climate policy debate in Australia for more than a decade.

“The Australia Institute is privileged to have been selected to help take forward its legacy,” McKinnon said.

“This will allow a consolidation and expansion of the Australia Institute’s own research into energy, including our work on fossil fuels and renewable energy policy.”

The Australia Institute announced it would establish a specialist Climate and Energy Program to “secure the ongoing legacy of the Climate Institute efficiently and effectively”.

The new program will also house the recently launched National Energy Emissions Audit.

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